BayTran honors former chairman at luncheon

Published
2:51 pm CDT, Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership honored a former chairman, the late Michael Ogden of Pearland, and heard updates from the county judges of Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties at its 13th Annual State of the Counties Address.

Billy M. Cooke, vice president at Klotz Associates, presented the Charles A. Jacobson Transportation Award in memory of Ogden, who died last fall, to his widow Colleen Ogden, calling Ogden “a man of high standards and character and a true professional.”

In accepting the award at the luncheon at the Downtown Aquarium, Colleen Ogden said she felt her husband would have been humbled by the award.

BayTran President Coletta Castleschouldt welcomed the crowd of elected officials and transportation professionals and Chairman Karen Coglianese explained the mission of BayTran -- “To enhance regional mobility by improving infrastructure, reducing traffic congestion, raising air quality and cultivating relationships with communities, business leaders, and elected and appointed officials that result in positive transportation results.”

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett advocated a regional approach to the area’s problems. “Every transportation system needs to interlock,” he said. The region also needs a comprehensive plan of action to not only keep the region growing but to position the area for sustained growth in the decades to come, he added.

INFRASTRUCTURE A WORRY

But he worried about funding the transportation infrastructure. If the infrastructure isn’t improved, he said the State of Texas is going to come to a screeching halt because you won’t be able to move anything. People aren’t going to come here because they won’t be able to go anywhere.”

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry talked about the new Simon/Tanger Outlet Mall opening this fall in Texas City and all the transportation projects in his county - work nearing completion on part of FM 646 and more to be completed this fall on another stretch of the roadway.

COMMISSIONER SPEAKS

Brazoria County Commissioner Matt Sebesta, gave Brazoria County Judge Joe King’s report in King’s absence, outlining preparations for the expansion of the Panama Canal and plans for improving Highway 288 from Houston to Pearland.

The commissioner also announced to the crowd that the upcoming annual “Matt Sebesta Invitational Golf Tournament“ benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been renamed The Michael A. Ogden Invitational Golf Tournament in honor of the former BayTran chairman.

BayTran Vice Chairman Bob Robinson led the Pledge of Allegiance, while the Rev. Tony McCollum of Seabrook United Methodist Church gave the invocation and Brendon Tughy of Houston Grand Opera sang the National Anthem.